Logan school board appoints new member

The board for Logan Municipal Schools last Monday appointed Taylor Smith to fill a vacancy due to a recent resignation.

Smith replaces Cole Wallin, who stepped down on Aug. 5 due to what he described as new work responsibilities.

Wallin was unopposed during his election in November 2023. Smith would serve through 2025.

According a resume he submitted to the board, Smith is a real estate broker at Ute Lake Premier Properties, an insurance agent and current president of the Logan-Ute Lake Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors.

The board interviewed Smith and the other candidate, Cynthia Welty-Moss, for about 30 minutes during a special meeting on Sept. 3.

Welty-Moss is a compliance officer at the San Jon Port of Entry and a former elementary teacher at several school districts in Texas.

During last week’s meeting, board President Toby Willis said moments before Smith was chosen: “I think we have two extremely capable and worthy candidates, which made it not an easy decision — which is a good thing.”

Board member Tom Humble, shortly before moving to appoint Smith, said: “I was not expecting the caliber of candidates that we had. They were excellent.”

The board unanimously approved Smith’s appointment.

Immediately afterward, Willis administered Smith the oath of office, and he then took his seat on the board.

In other business:

— During public comments, a student-athlete expressed her opposition to a redesign of the school’s sports logo. She said teammates also disliked it and would submit petitions against it.

Parents also had expressed dissatisfaction with the logo during previous board meetings.

Willis responded that the board has “put the brakes on the whole logo thing” and would schedule a work session with students to reconsider it.

“We’re going to take a second look at that,” he said.

The board earlier this summer approved a design from Cisneros Design of Santa Fe.

— The board voted to solicit sealed bids for a 2006 Chevrolet Suburban with a $3,000 minimum.

Roch said the vehicle, part of the district’s fleet, has 165,000 miles. He said Kelley Blue Book estimated its value at between $3,000 and $5,500. Superintendent Dennis Roch said the district likely will purchase a new vehicle to replace it this year.

— The board scheduled a work session for 5 p.m. Oct. 14 to consider designs for the school’s ag farm. Roch said the site would be north of the football field.